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I was reading a news story a couple of days ago about a mother of a young son who was killed by illegal fireworks and wondered just what it is about many people that they feel it's fine to violate some laws and obey others. I'll admit I violate one law, that being the speed limit, but only as it comes to pushing the 65 MPH speed limit, where I'll set my cruise control to 71 because I know I'm given that leeway on the highways. It's pretty much the only law I do violate.

In New York, fireworks are illegal, yet every 4th of July holiday I hear them going off throughout the neighborhood, and always wonder if this will be the time when someone gets hurt badly. Fireworks will be going off for at least the rest of this week, so there's still time.

In New York, it's also illegal to ride motorcycles without helmets, yet every day I see people doing just that. It's illegal to drive one's car without seatbelts, yet that happens; it's illegal to be holding a cell phone and talking while driving, but every day someone pulls up next to me with a cell phone attached to their ear. Drinking and driving is illegal,... well, you get the idea.

I participate in some online surveys, and one of them almost always asks near the end if I believe laws are made to be broken, and I usually say no. Now I'm wondering if they are, since it's so common. I'm not religious, but I believe in the tenets of the Ten Commandments, yet they're broken so often that, like the Constitution, I wonder if maybe each needs a rewrite to fit today's mindset.

Just some ponderances as we head into another weekend.